Chris Harrison is officially leaving 'The Bachelor' after 19 years. Here's a complete timeline of the controversy that led to his exit.

• Scandal has surrounded "The Bachelor" franchise over the last few months.

• Photos emerged of Matt James' contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed party.

• Host Chris Harrison has officially left the franchise after 19 years after defending Kirkconnell.

• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

"The Bachelor" is no stranger to scandal, but the last few months have been the messiest yet for the long-running series.

What began with TikTok rumors and photos at a plantation-themed fraternity party came to a head when host Chris Harrison stepped down after a controversial interview with "Bachelorette" star Rachel Lindsay in which he defended eventual season winner Rachael Kirkconnell's past racially-insensitive behavior.

The controversy effectively overshadowed Matt James' historic season as the first Black "Bachelor" star, with prominent alums of Bachelor Nation banding together to call for major change in a franchise that has long struggled with diversity issues.

Here's how it all went down from the very beginning, starting when James was first cast.

The franchise promised it would make major changes in June 2020, naming Matt James as the first Black "Bachelor" since the show premiered in 2002.

"The Bachelor" faced a reckoning as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the US, reigniting debates on diversity throughout Hollywood and beyond.

More than 160,000 people, including many of the show's biggest stars, signed a Change.org petition demanding that a Black lead be cast in the next season.

Shortly thereafter, executive producers announced that James — a biracial real estate broker, who was initially cast in Clare Crawley's season of "The Bachelorette" — would become the next star of "The Bachelor."

James' casting was announced days after Lindsay, the franchise's first Black "Bachelorette," said she would "dissociate" with Bachelor Nation if it didn't confront its diversity issues.

"In 40 seasons, 'The Bachelor' had one Black lead," Lindsay told AfterBuzz in June. "We are on 45 presidents. And in 45 presidents there's been one Black president. You are almost on par to say you're more likely to become the President of the United States than you are a Black lead in this franchise. That's insane."

James' casting came after "The Bachelorette" tapped its second Black lead, Tayshia Adams, who's biracial, to replace Crawley after she left her season early to get engaged to contestant Dale Moss.

In October, Harrison — who is also an executive producer for the franchise — told Insider that there were changes happening behind the scenes as well.

"There's obviously a lot of things you won't see behind the camera — hiring practices in crew, producers, [and] people being promoted. A lot of steps that won't get as much limelight but are as equally important," he explained.

James' season premiered on January 4, and featured a controversial conversation about race with Harrison.

On the show's premiere episode, James sat down with Harrison before meeting his contestants to discuss the pressure he felt being the first Black "Bachelor" in the show's history.

"You've got people who are cheering for you to end up with a specific person of a specific race," James said. "That's something that kept me up at night. I don't want to piss off Black people, I don't want to piss off white people, but I'm both of those. You know what I mean? It's like, how do I please everybody?"

James was criticized after the interview aired.

It was a discussion that also didn't sit well with Lindsay, she told Insider during an interview on January 29.

"Why is Matt James, a Black man, having to explain to a white man what it means to be Black?" Lindsay said. "It just was not the right way to do it."

Lindsay said she wished he'd been able to express his feelings straight to the camera rather than with Harrison.

"The conversation should've been Matt just talking about some of his fears and reservations he has stepping into this role," Lindsay said. "The setup didn't do Matt any favors, and I feel like that's also why people were so critical of it."

That same month, rumors began circulating about Rachael Kirkconnell, an early front-runner on James' season.

The 24-year-old graphic designer from Georgia, described as a "southern sweetheart" in her official "Bachelor" bio, first made headlines when a TikTok user accused Kirkconnell of bullying her for dating Black men.

Another TikTok user also accused her of liking racist photos.

As rumors swirled, Lindsay called out the franchise for its history of casting problematic contestants.

Reacting to the rumors about Kirkconnell, Lindsay said she didn't understand how "Bachelor" background checks failed to find damaging information about contestants that was easily dug up by people, including Reddit users.

"So many people send me stuff from Reddit all the time," Lindsay told Insider. "I'm getting stuff currently from people on Matt James' season now and I hope it's not what I think it is, but if it is I'm going to be mad because why is Reddit figuring out what the show can't?"

"It's extremely frustrating when you see somebody slip through the cracks, and it does a disservice to the lead who has no idea, because what if they pick that problematic person? It's been done before," she added.

Lindsay speaks from experience since during her season in 2017, contestant Lee Garrett was called out for writing racist tweets that resurfaced after her show's premiere.

The reality star has previously said she felt Garrett was intentionally cast to "add controversy."

"Forget having a necessarily good storyline. Tighten up who you're choosing on the show, because these are the people who are going out and representing the show," she told Insider back in January.

On February 2, James released a statement defending Kirkconnell from the swirling rumors.

"I have not spoken to anybody since the show ended, but I would say that you have to be really careful about what you are doing on social media," James told Entertainment Tonight.

"Rumors are dark and nasty and can ruin people's lives," he added. "So I would give people the benefit of the doubt, and hopefully she will have her time to speak on that."

Two days later, photos emerged of Kirkconnell at a plantation-themed fraternity party in 2018.

Pictures showed Kirkconnell wearing an antebellum-style plantation dress at a Kappa Alpha-hosted "Old South" party while she was a student at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia in 2018.

Her cousin Anastasia confirmed to The Sun that the photos were authentic and said they were "hard to defend."

On February 9, Harrison sat down with Lindsay for an interview and called for people to give Kirkconnell "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion."

During the more than 13-minute interview, where Lindsay is a correspondent for Extra, Harrison defended Kirkconnell.

"I've seen some stuff online where people are just tearing this girl's life apart and diving into, like, her parents and her parents' voting record," Harrison said. "It's unbelievably alarming to watch this. I saw a picture of her at a sorority party five years ago and that's it."

"Well the picture was from 2018 at an Old South antebellum party, so I think, you know, that's not a good look," Lindsay replied. "She's celebrating the Old South. If I went to that party, what would I represent at that party?"

Harrison said Lindsay was "100% right in 2021," but claimed that wouldn't have been the case three years ago.

"And again, I'm not defending Rachael. I just know that, I don't know, 50 million people did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to," he added. "We are not looking under the same lens."

Harrison went on to say that "the woke police is out there," and that Kirkconnell had been "thrown to the lions."

Shortly after the interview, a petition was launched to remove Harrison from "The Bachelor."

It wasn't long before a Change.org petition was created. It has received more than 41,000 signatures at the time of writing.

Harrison was also criticized on Twitter by many prominent "Bachelor" fans and writers, as well as Lindsay herself.

When Huffington Post writer Emma Gray praised Lindsay for how she handled the interview and dealt with the franchise, the "Bachelorette" star replied: "My days are numbered."

On February 10, Harrison took to Instagram to apologize for what he said during the interview with Lindsay.

Harrison said he realized he had caused "harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism."

"To my Bachelor Nation family — I will always own a mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology," Harrison wrote. "I have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed."

"While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf," he continued.

Harrison also apologized to Lindsay for "not listening to her better on a topic she has a first-hand understanding of" and said that he "promised to do better."

A day later, Kirkconnell released a statement of her own and said that her "ignorance was racist."

Although rumors had been swirling since January, it took about a month for Kirkconnell to address them on social media.

"While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I'm here to say I was wrong," Kirkconnell wrote in her apology, which she also posted to Instagram.

"At one point, I didn't recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn't excuse them," she said. "My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not OK or acceptable in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist."

On February 12, dozens of "Bachelor" alums released joint statements supporting Lindsay.

But the apologies from Harrison and Kirkconnell did little to quell the brewing storm.

More than 30 contestants on James' season of "The Bachelor" posted a joint statement on their Instagram accounts condemning Harrison's remarks and advocating for change in the franchise.

"We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism," the statement read. "Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. The experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized."

"Rachel Lindsay continues to advocate with 'grace' for individuals who identify as BIPOC within this franchise," it continued. "Just because she is speaking the loudest, doesn't mean she is alone. We stand with her, we hear her, and we advocate for change alongside her."

The men who appeared on Crawley and Adams' season of "The Bachelorette" soon posted a joint statement in support of Lindsay as well.

"The addition of more people who identify as BIPOC has opened up the conversation on race, community, and who we are as people," it read. "A conversation that has been long overdue."

"We stand united in denouncing racist behavior and any defense thereof. We also stand united with the women of Season 25 of the Bachelor, who had denounced the same; moreover, we stand united with Rachel Lindsay, who has led the way."

That same day, Lindsay, James, and Adams - the franchise's three Black leads - all spoke out about Harrison's interview.

In an Instagram story, Adams told her fans that the past week had been "eye-opening."

"I am really hurt and disappointed and confused at the ignorance when it comes to race," she said. "When there are blatant forms of racist acts, you cannot be defensive of it. It speaks volumes and I just have to say that I am really hurt by this response."

On his own Instagram story, James wrote that he was "beyond grateful" to have Lindsay as a mentor.

"Your advocacy of BIPOC people in the franchise is invaluable, I stand with you and the rest of the women advocating for change and accountability," he added.

Meanwhile, Lindsay said during her "Higher Learning" podcast that Harrison had "no problems" with their interview until the backlash began.

"He was fine. He texted me after. He appreciated the conversation. He was like, 'Yeah, I'll probably get a little flack,' but thought it was great we could disagree but do it in a civil way," she said. "It wasn't until the backlash came the next day...that he then apologized to me and then apologized publicly."

Lindsay went on to say she was "f------ tired" of the franchise's ongoing issues with diversity, and that she was done with Bachelor Nation.

"I'm contractually bound in some ways," she said. "But when it's up, I can't. I can't do it anymore."

On February 13, Harrison announced he was "stepping aside" from "The Bachelor" franchise for "a period of time."

Harrison took to Instagram again and said he was "ashamed of how uninformed I was."

"I have spent the last few days listening to the pain my words have caused, and I am deeply remorseful," he wrote. "I have no one to blame but myself for what I said and the way I spoke. By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term 'woke police,' which is unacceptable."

"This historic season of 'The Bachelor' should not be marred or overshadowed by my mistakes or diminished by my actions," he added, revealing he would not join for the "After the Final Rose" special at the end of James' season and was dedicated to "getting educated on a more profound and productive level than ever before."

On February 16, Lindsay said she wasn't sure if Harrison should permanently leave the franchise.

Although there's calls for Harrison to leave "The Bachelor" franchise permanently, Lindsay isn't so sure about that right now.

"I need to see what happens between now and the time that it's potentially announced he's coming back," she said during Tuesday's episode of her "Higher Learning" podcast. "I'll tell you what I'll be mad about: He goes away, we don't see him at the finale, and he pops back up in 'Paradise' like the last four or five months didn't happen."

"You need to show me that there's been some change within you," she added. "Disappearing from the public eye isn't the change I need to see. I want to see you volunteering. I want to see you donating."

On February 22, James issued a lengthy statement about the controversy, calling the last few weeks "some of the most challenging in my life."

James called Kirkconnell's photos and Harrison's interview "incredibly disappointing," and said the recent events had been "devastating and heartbreaking."

"Chris' failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch," he wrote.

"As Black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that 'The Bachelor' franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years," James continued.

The reality star promised "you will hear more from me in the end," and said he hoped the recent controversy would lead to "real and institutional change for the better."

On February 25, Kirkconnell posted a lengthy video on Instagram, asking fans to stop defending her.

"Please stop saying that I did nothing wrong," Kirkconnell told her followers during the seven-minute video. "That's not true."

"If you really want to support me, then encourage me to do better and encourage those around you to do better to accept change and allow others to learn and grow because we need to work together on this if anything is going to change," she added.

Kirkconnell also noted that she would be sharing anti-racism resources in her Instagram bio, saying she hadn't in the past to avoid "being called performative."

"The first big step in all of this is white people stepping up and taking accountability," she said. "Things will never change if we don't all work together in working towards this racial progress and this unity that we want."

Two days later, ABC announced that Emmanuel Acho would host the "After the Final Rose" special after Harrison stepped down.

The former NFL football player, who wrote the New York Times' bestseller "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man," said he had "never been more excited about an opportunity in my life!"

"It's been a pivotal season, and this episode will hopefully be one of the most storied shows in TV history," Acho wrote on his Instagram. "Empathy is needed and change is coming."

Acho, who spoke to James and his three finalists — including Kirkconnell — during the special, added that he loves being "a bridge for reconciliation."

"Our world is disconnected and divided," he wrote. "My goal is to unify."

On March 1, "The Bachelor" executive producers released a statement defending Lindsay after she deactivated her Instagram following a torrent of harassment.

Days after Lindsay shut down her Instagram account from incessant online bullying, "The Bachelor" executive producers released a statement calling the harassment "completely inexcusable."

"Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more often than not, has been rooted in racism," the statement continued. "That is totally unacceptable. Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast, and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly towards racial equality and inclusion."

A day later, Lindsay said that deactivating her account was "the best decision that I could do for myself to detach from that negativity."

"I feel so much better," she said on her "Higher Learning" podcast. "I'm not 100 percent, but I feel lighter. People are attacking me because they think that I'm trying to cancel someone so they're on a mission to cancel me. I'm getting threatened. Where does it end? Where does it stop?"

Harrison revealed three days later that he hopes to return to the "Bachelor" franchise.

Harrison sat down for his first interview following the controversy with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America."

"I am an imperfect man, I made a mistake and I own that," Harrison told Strahan. "I believe that mistake doesn't reflect who I am or what I stand for. I am committed to progress, not just for myself, also for the franchise. And this is a franchise that has been a part of my life for the better part of 20 years and I love it."

"I plan to be back and I want to be back," he added. "And I think this franchise can be an important beacon of change. I know that change is felt, not just by me, but by many others. And we are excited and willing to do the work to show that progress."

On March 12, it was announced that Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe would take over hosting duties for the next season of "The Bachelorette."

ABC announced in a statement that Harrison would not return for the next season of "The Bachelorette" after the host previously said he'd be "stepping aside" temporarily.

"We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing," it read. "As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within 'The Bachelor' franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) representation of our crew."

Bristowe and Adams have both starred in their own seasons of "The Bachelorette." Bristowe's season aired in 2015, while Adams took over the most recent season after Clare Crawley left early to get engaged to contestant Dale Moss.

Adams revealed in an Instagram Story on Saturday that she had talked to Harrison, who she said was "so kind and congratulated me for being a part of the next season."

"I feel so honored to be given the opportunity," she told her followers. "I'm just so, so, so happy and I'm so happy that you guys are happy. It means so much."

Bristowe posted an Instagram video of her and Adams dancing to celebrate the news, along with the caption: "Let's go girls."

On "The Bachelor" season finale, James picked Kirkconnell, but didn't propose to her.

James gave Kirkconnell his final rose, selecting her as the winner during the final episode, which had been filmed months before the controversy came to light.

Although he didn't actually propose, James told Kirkconnell during the finale, "I see you as my wife. I see you as the mother of my kids."

James revealed during the "After the Final Rose" special that he split with Kirkconnell after the plantation-party photos emerged.

James revealed that he ended things with Kirkconnell after he had to explain to her why the plantation-party photos were problematic.

"When I questioned our relationship, it was in the context of you not fully understanding my Blackness, and what it means to be a Black man in America, and what it would mean for our kids," James told her during the post-finale special. "It broke my heart."

"I knew that I had to take a step back for you to put in the work you need to do, and that's something you need to do on your own," he added.

In her first Instagram post after the finale aired, Kirkconnell told her followers that she wished "things turned out differently."

"I also believe there's a reason for everything," Kirkconnell wrote in the lengthy Instagram post. "We may not be able to control situations thrown our way, but we can control how we deal with it, and I believe good can come out of every circumstance."

Kirkconnell also used the post to pay tribute to her fellow "Bachelor" contestants, saying "one of the biggest disappointments" was that her controversy had overshadowed them.

"They are some of the strongest, most brilliant, most extraordinary women and I was lucky enough to have met them," she wrote. "You all deserve more, but I promise to always stand by and support each of you in any way I can."

Kirkconnell concluded by saying she truly believed that James was "the love of my life."

"While I never expected this outcome, I respect his decision completely," she added. "He will always hold a piece of my heart. I'll always be hopeful and believe what's meant to be will be."

On April 6, Reality Steve claimed that James and Kirkconnell were spotted in New York together.

Reality Steve, one of the biggest Bachelor Nation bloggers, posted on Twitter that James and Kirkconnell hadn't fully broken up.

That same week, the gossip Instagram account @deuxmoi reposted unverified photos from a follower that claimed to show James and Kirkconnell walking around Brooklyn together.

During the "After the Final Rose" special, both Kirkconnell and James admitted they still had feelings for each other.

James told Acho that "those feelings don't go away overnight," while Kirkconnell told "The Bachelor" star that she couldn't imagine having "these same feelings for someone else."

On April 28, James revealed that he was "focusing" on his relationship with Kirkconnell.

The former "Bachelor" star confirmed to People that he had seen Kirkconnell "a handful of times."

"I'm not pursuing any relationships right now outside of that," he added. "I was said I was going to focus on my relationship with her and that means focusing on it."

James also confirmed he would not appear on the upcoming season of "Bachelor in Paradise," and said he wanted to focus on being "at the center of meaningful conversations."

"I really enjoyed the conversations I had over the past few months and I think it'd be a lot of fun to be a voice on important issues," he added. "That's where I see my future and where I'm pursuing opportunities."

On June 8, it was revealed that Harrison was officially leaving the "Bachelor" franchise for good.

Harrison's 19-year reign as the host of the "Bachelor" franchise officially came to an end the morning after Katie Thurston's new season of "The Bachelorette" premiered without him.

Deadline's Dominic Patten exclusively revealed that Harrison received a "mid-range eight figure payoff" to leave Bachelor Nation for good.

Insider reached out to reps for Harrison and ABC, but didn't immediately hear back.

"The usual platitudes are expected to be exchanged for public consumption when the agreement is made public later today, but there is certainly no romance in the air behind the scenes," Patten added.

According to Patten, Harrison's lawyer threatened to expose "a swath of 'The Bachelor's' alleged dirty laundry" unless the longtime host "emerged feeling the financial love."

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